About Us

Delivering lasting global health impact at scale for the poor is the mission of the Arnhold Institute. All work is guided by the belief that policies and innovations from settings abroad have the potential to transform health care domestically. By making hidden determinants and infrastructures of health visible, new solutions can be developed, and sustainable impact can be scaled for the poor.

In 2006, a small group of Mount Sinai physicians under the leadership of pediatrician, Dr. Ramon Murphy, came together with the shared vision of creating an impactful Global Health Training Program that would address the needs of underserved communities globally. The objectives were twofold: to train, mentor, and equip U.S. medical students to pursue careers in global health, and to increase local health care capacity in medically under-resourced areas around the world. The Training Program launched in 2007, ushering in a new era of focus on global health at Mount Sinai.

By 2010, guided by the new Dean for Global Health, Dr. Phil Landrigan, the Global Training Program quickly expanded into Mount Sinai Global Health: an interdisciplinary program incorporating robust global health research, patient care, and human rights programs alongside the original program focused on training. Since 2007, this portfolio of programs has trained hundreds of students, residents, and fellows and positively impacted thousands of lives.

In 2014, the Mulago Foundation and the Arnhold family made a visionary gift to establish the Arnhold Institute for Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The Mulago Foundation carries on the life’s work of pediatrician and philanthropist Dr. Rainer Arnhold, whose passion was to create a better life for children in poverty.

“Support for high-quality, global health education has always been a priority for our philanthropy, especially through The Mulago Foundation,” said John Arnhold, a Trustee for The Mulago Foundation and The Arnhold Foundation, upon bestowing the gift. “We are delighted to have this opportunity to support the remarkable work that Mount Sinai is doing to create the next generation of global health leaders and workers.”

Today, under the new leadership of its first director, global health expert Prabhjot Singh, MD, PhD, the Arnhold Institute for Global Health is expanding its scope by focusing on broadening the understanding of the full context of global health.

Historically, popular ideas about global health goals often include alleviating the burden of hunger and infectious diseases in the developing world. The Arnhold Institute for Global Health does not stop there. Global health is for everyone, everywhere, whether it is improving the health of a community in rural sub-Saharan Africa struggling with cardiovascular disease, developing a data science platform to better protect an underserved population in Guatemala from the Zika virus, or retooling the way primary care is delivered in a community in New York City’s East Harlem neighborhood. The Arnhold Institute is focused on protecting and improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities everywhere.

By recognizing common problems faced by diverse communities globally, the Arnhold Institute’s expanded scope creates new opportunities for learning and action.

There are myriad examples of diverse populations facing identical challenges despite having very little else in common, creating opportunities to learn from each other. Communities as distinct as Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Miami, Florida, are suffering from the effects of chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. From El Paso, Texas, to Lesbos, Greece, communities are struggling to provide care to migrants fleeing violence in search of safety and opportunity. The Arnhold Institute believes that working towards more equitable health systems worldwide helps us all, morally and medically.